Fuel feed for internal combustion engines



Jan- 2, 1940- c. E. sPlNDLER 2,185,573

l FUEL FEED FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENG'IFNES Filed June 25, 1958 i 2 sheets-sheet 1 Jan. 2, 1940. Lc. E. SPINDLER A FUEL FEED FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed June 25, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E u, m

Patented Jan. 2, 1940 i.;

FUEL FEED FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTIO-N l ENGINES Clarence E. Spindler, Blue Island, Ill. Applicatidn June 25, 1938, Serial No. 215,864

tclaims. (o1. 12s-13s) invention relates to `fuel systems for internal combustion engines, and more particularly to the treatment of the fuel in order to best adapt l it forefcient combustion, and my main object is to provide lan arrangement accessory and easily adaptableto the `conventional internal combustion enginek for the purpose mentioned.

' `A further object of the invention is to provide a fuel vaporizing unit which is so constituted as panying drawings, in whichto convert the liquid fuel into a dry gas, whereby to minimize the possibilities of condensation and improve combustion.v

'l A still further object of the invention is to provide a vaporizing unit which is so connected 15` tothe regular fuel feed of the engine as to make it possible to use the regular fuel feed for starting purposes and to changes to the novel feed after the engine has developed va predetermined working temperature.

An additional object of the invention is to construct the novel fuel system along lines of simplicity and economy." f

With the above objects in vfew, and any others which maysuggest themselves from the description to follow, a better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the accoml Fig. 1 is an elevation of the novel fuel system as applied to a conventional internal combustion' engine;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of the exhaust `manifold, showing a portion of the system within it; p y l Fig. 3 is a fragmental `section of the frontal partof the said manifold, with accessory parts in plan view; y

Fig. 4 is a magnified section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a magnified view, partly in section, of a valve shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an elevation, partly in. section, of a portion of the system, which applies to the engine carburetor; and

Fig. 'i is a top plan view of Fig. 6.

It is a familiar fact that the efficiency obtained from liquid fuel fed into an internal combustion engine is rarely high, owing to the fact that the fuel is not suilicientlyatomized or commingled with the air in which it; travels, so that vsome Pof the fuel is vcontinually expelled in unconsumd the `showing in l f form. While various devices or means have been developed from time to time to obtain the thorough vaporization of the fuel after it leaves the temperatures below normal.

While .the fuel pump from the viewpoints of efficiency and economy, and it has therefore been my intention to design a system for this purpose which attains the desired eiiiciency by simple and easily applicable means. I

In accordancewith the foregoing, specific reference to the drawings indicates a typical internal combustion engine at 5, its fuel line at 6, the fuel pump at l, the carbureterat 8, the inlet manifold yat 9, and the exhaust manifold at I0.

The vaporizer in the novel fuel system consists of a liquid chamber II built' or cast intothe exhaust manifold Iii by means of spacers I2 or other suitable means, whereby to occupy a central position within the manifold. rThe chamber II has an inlet tube I3 from the front of the manifold. On the inside of the chamber is'an undulating longitudinal tube I4 which has yan open inlet at 4one end and an outlet I5 to the front of the manifold. It is my purpose to lead the liquid fuel into the chamber II by lway of its inlet i3 after the chamber has become heated to a predetermined degree from the operation of the engine.

The pre-heating of the fuel occurs in the chamber I'I, and the super-heating thereof occurs when the vaporized fuel enters the undulating tube I4, so that. the fuel issues as a dry gas from the outlet I5.

has a standard piping connection 45 to the carbureter 8, for the preesnt purpose the connection is intercepted by a two- Way valve I6, Whose lever 18a. may be turned to divert the fuel from a vaporizing lead I7 connecting valve i6 with the supply inlet I3. A rod I8 operable from the dash-if the engine is in an automobile-forms a manual control for the valve I6, and it may be assumed that the feed is directed to the carbureter when the engine is being started, but diverted from the carbureter to the vaporizer after'the engine has assumed a suitable or predetermined working temperature. With air drawn through the carbureter as usual, a mixture is produced which is dry and therefore devoid of any liquid or raw fuel, enabling the thorough combustion of the fuel mixture with resultant added power, freedom from carbon deposits or loss of fuel into the exhaust, and marked fuel economy.

The regular fuel feed is in use as under present conditions while the engine is cold or runs at Yet, when the normal running temperature is reached, the economy ofthe new arrangement may be utilized by the single operation of the control rod, whereby to bureter. Since it is ordinarily impossible' to tell or impracticable to ascertain when the engine has assumed a suitable temperature for the action of the vaporizer, I have included a connec- 5 tion to serve as an automatic control. Thus, a thermostat is shown at 2t, extended with an arm 29a, which is moved in a rotary direction by the thermostat when the desired engine temperature is reached. The arm 2da, is connected by means of a rod 2l to a branch Stb' of the lever ita which controls the two-way valve i6, so that the action of the thermostat will ordinarily turn such valve at the desired time without attention on the part ci the driver. Yet, should the thermostat or its connection get out of order, the handcontrol i 8 is always available to make the change. The vaporizer outlet l5 opens into an external conduit 22, terminating` with a chamber 2 3 `from which branches 23a and 23h lead to the lateral and medialportions of the inlet manifold d, the branch 23h being in the form of a coil to permit it to have the vsame length as the branches 23a and thus serve for a uniform supply of ythe gas tothe different portions of the manifold, it being 25. understood that the air regularly drawn into the manifold by the engine suction serves to unite with the gas in forming the fuel mixture.

In order that the supply of the gas from the vaporizer may be controlled as desired, the conduit 22 receives a valve 2d at a point behindthe chamber 23, such valve having an operating lever 25 connected by Aa link 2S to a ybranch 2l of the throttle control` lever 28 from which the usualoperating rod 28a is extended. The throttle and 'r the valve 2li are thus operated from the same source. However, when the vaporizer is in use there is no liquid fuel in the carbureter so that the operation of the throttle produces no result and does no harm. Conversely no fuel is admit- "1,0, ted to the 'vaporizen the operation of the valve 2d is likewise ineffectual.

t is possible that the gas may not attain its K best or superheated condition even when the `twoway valve I E is automatically actuated, and I therefore provideua safe-guard against the premature feed of the gas to the inlet manifold' in theform of a second valve 429 in the conduitsZZ. This valve has an operating lever 3B and is actuated by the lever 3l of a second thermostat 32, acting through a link 33. Preferably,,the

thermostat 32 is regulated to act before the (ther.-

rnostat 2li, so as to assure the proper temperature of the engine for the feed of the vaporized fuel as well as an open channel to the control A valvev 2d and distributing chamber n23 before the thermostat 2li acts to admit raw fuel `into the vaporizer. n The Valves-2d and 29 are of the simple rotary type. One of these valves is shown in section in Fig. 5 and contains'an internal cupV Bllwhose bottom has ,an opening 35 adapted to .register with an opening 35E in the valve housing 29 ord when the lever `3@ or 25 is operated as shown in Fig. 5. vThe particular type of valve is shown merely as an example and any other type vwhich is operable in the same manner or to lproduce the same result may be employed.

In the operation of the system, the change from the regular fuel feed to the vaporizer cuts I off the fuel from the carbureter.` Thus, the continued running of the enginerwill draw all the remaining fuel from the carbureter, v4so that when the engine has cooled off after a period of operation and the initial fuel feedy is restored,no fuel will be available in the ,CarbureterI` Iand the engine will have to be cranked until its fuel pump operates long enough to .ll the carbureter..y In order to avoid this difliculty and the incidental drain on the storage battery, I have provided av reservoir from which the refilling of the cark5 bureter is immediately and automatically available. Thus,as noted particularly in Figs. 6 -and 7, an auxiliary fuel vessel 38 isprovided at one side of the carbureter, `such vessel also having the customary float 2idand needle valve llt. The lOg bottom of the vessel 38 communicates by means of a duct di with the pipe' d2 which leads the fuel fromy the two-way Valve i6 to the carbureter'.

`However, between the entrance of the duct 4l and the carbureter the pipe l2 receives a plug valve 15 123, the operating lever ldof the same having a `connection l5 with therod 2i which leads from thel thermostat 2i) to thevtWo-way valve' i6. w

The position of the rod 2l as shown is indiclative of the regular fuel system `being in opera- 20 tion. It is thus seen. in ,Fig.6 that the valve 43 ,n is open, while the two-way valve i6 is open to the pipe Il? but closed to the vaporizing leadfll. With the engine in operation, it may be assumed thatfthe pump has nlled both the carbureter and Ztvi` the auxiliary vessel 38 with the liquid fuel. I-Io'w-r ever, should the thermostat 2li induce kva movement ofthe two-way lvalve i6 in a clockwise direcugntne pipe t2 will be cutoffasfweil as the valve d3 closed, 'bythe` single'rnovemerit `of s the rod 2i. The fuel inthe vesselgli and its duct di will thus be trapped"between` the lvalvesfllli and d3, so that it cannot escap'einla downward direction or be drawn oifby.thecarbureter'by.

the continued suctiony of the engine. Theves-f.-

s eld therefore serves as va reservoirV for suchuel, which becomesl available 'when 4tile valves L6 Aand I i3 have been turnedfback'by the ,cooling ofthe 7 I engine after a periodof operation.

It Will be Aevidentfrom the above description', 4.19..

that I hayeprovided ,a fuel sy's'temwhich is .of a simple character, makes forhighleiiciencyfarid economy While in use, vandis-.easily *adaptablel to conventionalA internal combustion engines..v

The system providefsjproperly timed automatic 45` 'c on,trols,nyet permits lthe supply of the vapori'ied fuel to the engine tol'bevlcontrolled las forftlie regular fuel feed. In addition, a vSafe-,guard,is provided to retain the regular,feedinfllcase,the-y y automatic actionv fails. `Finally the`sys'tem vern-,l 50. ploys par-ts and lunits based on .standardmechanical practice'and isy therefore ofa'nlatu1 ",120 be economicalh7 manufactured and installedl? While I have desribediithe V,iru/ar1t-im1`alimements may be made-'therein Withoutldep,,ar 'ng from itsI principle.andf desireto .considerfall such changes and refinements as! coming within the scopehlandlspiritof theappendedclaims'.

1. In a charge formingedevicefforlangiinternal,A G0.'

2; In a charge formingvdevic'e'.gforanirrte 3,1.4 combustion s -,engine :including vr af carburetor, 1:- an .7,0 exhaust heated vaporizer associatedwith the exhaust pipe of saidengine and atwoeway for selectively yfeeding fuel ,tolsaid'carburet vaporizer; means for transmitting fll irflm vaporzer i0, the intake iielfeldffsaidn valve said means including a plurality of conduits each leading to a different point of said manifold,

and each of said conduits being of substantially the same length.

3. In a charge forming device for an internal combustion engine including a carburetor, means for supplying air to said carburetor, a main fuel line, a pair of branch fuel lines diverging from said main fuel line, one branch fuel line leading directly to said carburetor, an exhaust heated fuel vaporizer associated with the exhaust pipe of said engine, the second branch fuel line leading from said rst fuel line through said vaporizer to said carburetor, and a two-Way valve at the junction of said branch fuel lines for selectively feeding fuel to said branch lines; a thermostat control for said valvey to actuate the same to divert fuel from said first branch to said vsecond branch when said vaporizer has attained a predetermined temperature.

4. In a charge forming device for an internal combustion engine including a carburetor, means for supplying air to said carburetor, a main fuel line, a 'pair of branch fuel lines diverging from said main fuel line, one branch fuel line leading directly to said carburetor, an exhaust heated fuel vaporizer associated with the exhaust pipe of said engine, the second branch fuel line leading from said rst fuel line through said vaporizer to said carburetor, and a two-Way valve at the junction of said branch fuel lines for selectively feeding fuel to said branch lines; means for actuating said two-Way valve, an auxiliary fuel container having a norInaIIy open connection with said carburetor, means for closing said connection to cut said container off from said carburetor, and 'said valve actuating means being operatively connected to said last named means to actuate the saine with each actuation of said valve actuating means.

5. In a charge forming -device for an internal combustion engine including a carburetor, means for supplying air to said carburetor, a main fuel line, a pair of branch fuel. lines dii/erging from said main fuel line, one branch fuel line leading directly to said carburetor, an exhaust heated fuel vaporizer associated with the exhaust pipe of said engine, the second branch fuel line leading from said first fuel line through said vaporizer to said carburetor, and a two-way valve at the junction of said branch fuel lines for selectively feeding fuel to said branch lines; means for actuating said two-Way valve, an auxiliary fuel container having a normally open connection with said carburetor, and a valve for closing said connection, said last valve adapted to be closed when said two-Way valve has been actuated to feed fuel to said carburetor through said vaporizer, whereby tol prevent the feeding of said auxiliary supply of fuel to said carburetor While v fuel is being fed through said vaporizer.

` CLARENCE E. SPNDLEE. 

